Iran Fires Missile Toward U.S. Base Area as Trump Warns Tehran: ‘Maybe We Have to Go Back and Finish It’

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appeared to hang by a thread Thursday after Tehran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait, escalating tensions even as diplomatic efforts continued behind the scenes.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the missile was aimed at “the U.S. air base identified as the source of the attack,” according to NBC News. The regime said the strike came in response to what it called a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire by the United States.

Iran offered few details about the strike. Kuwait, however, said its air defenses had responded to “hostile missile and drone threats” and were actively intercepting attacks.

Kuwait has previously been targeted by Iran and Iranian-backed forces, making Thursday’s incident another alarming reminder of the dangers posed by Tehran’s military network across the region.

U.S. Central Command confirmed the missile launch in a statement on X, saying, “Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces.”

“This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz. All drones were successfully intercepted by U.S. forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas,” Central Command said.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Iranian drones were launched toward U.S. and commercial ships in the region. American F/A-18, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets reportedly shot down the drones before F/A-18s destroyed a ground control unit, preventing additional attacks.

Tehran, as usual, presented a different version of events.

“Four vessels attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Persian Gulf without coordination with the security forces,” Iran posted on Telegram, according to The Times of Israel.

“They were warned, but after they ignored the warning, warning shots were fired at them, forcing them to return,” Iran said.

The exchange of fire comes as President Donald Trump is making clear that the United States will not accept weakness, delay tactics, or empty promises from the Iranian regime.

“So far they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be, we will be. Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job,” Trump said, according to Fox News.

“But their navy has gone, as I’ve said a thousand times, their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Everything’s gone and they’re negotiating on fumes. But we’ll see what happens. Maybe we have to go back and finish it. Maybe we don’t,” he said.

Trump also dismissed the idea that political pressure at home would force him into a weaker position abroad.

“They thought they were going to outwait me, you know, ‘We’ll outwait him, he’s got the midterms.’ I don’t care about the midterms. Look what happened last night. That was the prelude to the midterms,” Trump said, referring to Tuesday night victories by candidates he endorsed in Republican primary races.

At the heart of the standoff remains one non-negotiable principle for the Trump administration: Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I’m doing that for the world. I’m not doing it just for us,” Trump said.

The latest Iranian strike underscores why many conservatives have long warned that appeasement only emboldens hostile regimes. While Washington continues to pursue a resolution, President Trump’s message to Tehran remains unmistakable: America will negotiate from strength, not surrender.